Real Madrid look to wrap up semifinal qualification

Real Madrid will look to wrap up qualification for the UEFA Champions League semifinals when they host Juventus for a second-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid on Wednesday, 11 April 2018, kick-off at 20h45 CAT.

The first leg in Turin last week saw the Spanish giants claim an emphatic 3-0 win. Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals – the second of which was an astonishing overhead kick which even earned applause from the Juve fans – while Marcelo added the third.

The three-goal lead and the comfort of hosting the return game makes Real the clear favourites to progress, though manager Zinedine Zidane has warned against complacency, knowing that the Italian champions have a potent enough attack to turn the tie – in theory at least.

However, it’s hard to see a way back for Massimiliano Allegri’s side: they may have shown their power as an away side in defeating Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in the previous round, but doing the same to Real – and on an even bigger scale, given the three-goal deficit – is surely a bridge too far.

The teams had contrasting domestic results this past weekend, with Juve moving a step closer to claiming the Serie A title with a 4-2 away win over Benevento, while Real Madrid’s hopes of moving up the La Liga table were hit by a 1-1 draw at home to derby rivals Atletico Madrid.

In head-to-head stats, Real and Juve have met in 20 matches in European competition. Los Blancos’ win last week took their victory tally to 10, compared to eight for the Old Lady, while just two games have been drawn.